Broken Chaos
by Chibi Yoshi
Summary: After the events of SA2, Shadow finds that G.U.N. is after him yet again. Or so he thinks. If they don't want him... then who are they really after?
1. The End and the Beginning

Author's notes: First of all, there are major spoilers in this fic if you haven't beaten SA2. So READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! Also, the stuff in italics is generally the thoughts of one of the characters, except for the flashes toward the end.

Disclaimer: Everyone in the story (so far) belongs to Sonic Team/Sega. So please don't hurt me!

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Chapter 1: The End… and the Beginning

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This is it.

The two glowing figures approached the plummeting space colony.

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Everything depends on this moment.

"No way that's getting through!"

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He's so confident. But if we fail…

They stretched their hands up to the massive metallic ball.

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…then everyone will pay with their lives.

The white hedgehog trailed slightly behind his golden partner, hesitating with uncertainty.

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Shadow! I beg of you…!

Maria…?

Give them a chance… to be happy…

He gazed up at the colony and caught up with his comrade, a renewed determination burning in his crimson eyes.

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I shall keep my promise to you, Maria…

"Now, Shadow!"

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…at all costs!

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Blinding golden light emerged from their hands, pure chaos energy enveloping the colony above. The two hedgehogs poured out massive amounts of energy to teleport the machine away from the Earth.

The white hedgehog, however, was determined not to make any mistakes. He funneled all the energy he could muster into that blast, determined to protect the precious planet below.

The golden hedgehog glanced down at his friend, noticing the tremendous strain on his face. A shadow of concern crossed his face, but only for a brief moment. It was replaced with firm determination as he looked up once again, intending to lessen his partner's burden with his own increased effort.

But a bright flash from the ARK stopped him before he had the chance.

The force of the blast sent the pair flying backwards. Sonic, regaining his senses first, grabbed at Shadow's arm. But the white hedgehog was falling at such a tremendous rate that Sonic couldn't get a firm hold on him. Instead, his grip fell on the gold cuff on Shadow's wrist, which simply slid off as Shadow continued to fall.

"NO!" Sonic watched in horror as his newfound friend plummeted into the Earth's atmosphere. "SHADOW!"

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Shadow gazed weakly up at the dissipating light as he fell. The ARK was no longer there. It worked. They had won. The planet was safe.

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Maria… this is what you wanted, right?

As he entered the atmosphere, a bright flame formed around his white body. But his energy was all but depleted, and his white glow was beginning to fade. The heat grew more and more intense, and soon he could feel it singeing his fur.

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This is the promise I made to you…

His fur had faded from a milky white to a dull gray by now, and the burning was becoming unbearable. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth to keep from crying out.

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Yes, Shadow. You've done well.

Shadow opened his eyes, his mind momentarily drifting away from the pain. "Maria?" he whispered.

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Now, this is my gift to you.

Shadow felt his body impact the surface of water, relieving the burning, yet at the same time depleting what was left of the chaos energy in him. He was dizzy, disoriented, too weak to attempt to swim. The surface—which seemed already so distant to him—slipped further away as he sank into the dark waters.

He saw something moving in the corner of his eye. He turned his head slightly to see a dark shape moving towards him.

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So this is how it ends. I accept your gift, Maria. Soon, I can see you again…

He closed his eyes as his mind slipped into darkness. His last conscious thought was of a strange, yet soothing song echoing through the water around him, carrying him away from his suffering.

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A wave of cheers greeted the group of heroes as they emerged from the pyramid and into the night air. Taken aback by the large crowd, the unlikely team gaped at such a grand reception.

The insane scientist Dr. Eggman was the first to return to his senses. "What? How did they find my hidden base?!"

From his seat in the Cyclone, Tails cast a sidelong glance at Sonic, expecting him to make some cocky retort. But the blue hedgehog remained silent. After a moment, the young fox decided to make the taunt himself. "Well gee, it's not like all the ugly statues and robots were the world's biggest tipoff or anything."

Eggman merely glared at Tails and snorted. Tails smirked back at him, but he had hoped for more. If Sonic had made the same remark, Eggman would have been infuriated, leading to more taunts. _It just doesn't work with me the way it does with Sonic._ Despite his recent adventures, he was still left with a slight feeling of insufficiency, not being able to match Sonic. _What's with him, anyway?_ He looked at his friend again, who was unusually quiet. To all appearances, the hedgehog was completely oblivious to the crowd jubilantly cheering them.

But he was indeed aware of them. All too aware.

Sonic gazed out at the people, feeling more like the condemned on public display than a hero. Each cry of praise stung him like a dart, and he wished he could just shrink back into the dark night and escape from their torture. In his mind, he had no right to this glory. The others that stood with him—even Eggman—were more deserving of it than he. _They_ weren't the ones responsible for the true hero's death. _They_ didn't sacrifice his life because of their own lack of effort. He didn't die because _they_ weren't fast enough.

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It's because I wasn't fast enough.

Sonic had been mentally beating himself over Shadow's death from the moment he returned to the ARK, to the moment they arrived back on Earth via Eggman's teleporter. But now that he stood before all these people cheering—cheering for him—the pain and guilt he felt became even more acute.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of several microphones in front of him. A small crowd of reporters had gathered around the returned heroes, most of which focused their attention on Sonic. Photographers and cameramen trained their tools on the famous hedgehog, and he was all but blinded by the incessant flashes flooding his vision.

"Mr. Hedgehog! Can you tell us what happened on the space colony ARK?"

"How did you stop the colony's freefall?"

"What happened to that hedgehog impersonating you?"

"Was that Project Shadow that Dr. Gerald spoke of?"

"Is it still alive?"

The last question hit Sonic like a ton of bricks. _'Is IT still alive?' They don't even see him as a person..._

The crowd parted as the President himself approached the group. He strode up to the hedgehog, his face a mixture of relief, joy, and overwhelming gratitude. He shook Sonic's hand enthusiastically, spouting numerous words of thanks to him and his comrades.

But Sonic did not hear his words. He stared blankly at the President and the crowd gathered about as cameras flashed furiously.

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Flash.

He again saw Shadow striding past him to face the Biolozard.

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Flash.

He saw Shadow attack the Biolizard fearlessly in their final battle.

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Flash.

He saw Shadow drain his energy to stop the ARK, then fall lifelessly toward the Earth.

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'Is it still alive?' The question was still ringing through Sonic's mind. _Is that how the world will remember him?_

"No…" Sonic's voice was barely audible, but caused the President to stop mid-sentence and regard him quizzically.

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As some evil monster with no identity?

"NO!" Sonic yanked his hand away from the President's and jumped back, surprising everyone around him. "You've got it all wrong!" he shouted, clenching his fists. "I'm not a hero… you've got the wrong guy!" A startled murmur arose among the crowd, and his friends exchanged worried glances. He suddenly felt overcome with panic as he gazed at the crowd, and without further warning he broke into a mad dash, weaving his way through the crowd with amazing agility. Within a few seconds, he had disappeared into the night.

"Sonic!" Tails cried, his face filled with worry. With the touch of a few buttons, the Cyclone launched into the air and switched to flight mode, taking off after the blue hedgehog.

"Tails, wait!" Knuckles, also concerned for his friend, leapt into the air and glided after the plane.

"Tails! Knuckles! Don't just leave me here!" Amy futilely cried after them. Realizing that they were out of hearing range, she groaned in frustration. "Why do they always leave me behind?"

Eggman gazed after them for a moment, but soon realized that his presence might not be as welcome there without the other heroes taking the spotlight. He too changed his walker to flight mode, and hovered over the crowd. "I may have saved your skins this time, but that changes nothing! Soon, you shall all fall to the Eggman Empire! Bwahahaha!" At this he flew off, his insane cackle echoing through the night air.

The President scowled at the mad doctor's retreating figure, but decided to let him go for the time being. Instead, he turned to the two remaining figures. He approached Rouge first, shaking her hand in a motion of congratulations and thanks. Maintaining his elated expression for the purpose of the cameras, he spoke to the bat in a lowered voice.

"I'll expect a full report from you on these recent events as well as Project Shadow."

"Y—yes, sir," she replied solemnly.

The President nodded, then walked over to the pink hedgehog. She was staring at Rouge with a puzzled expression on her face, but snapped to attention when the President addressed her.

"You must be Amy Rose, right?" he said, shaking her hand.

"T—that's right, sir," she responded nervously. 

"I've heard that you're a very close friend of Sonic's." He lowered his voice a bit. "Take care of him, alright? This world really needs a hero like him."

Amy nodded, surprised by the unusual request. "I will, sir."

The President smiled and stepped back, preparing to address the both of them publicly. "Since I did not have the opportunity to thank your friends in person, please give them my sincerest gratitude when you see them again." The two girls nodded, and the President nodded to them once more, then began to return to his limousine.

Rouge sighed and looked down at a shiny gold object she held in her hand. It was Shadow's gold cuff that Sonic had given her upon returning to the ARK. She thought of the pained look Sonic had before he ran off, but pushed it to the back of her mind before it could go any further. "I guess I should be going." She cast a glance at Amy as she turned to leave. "See you around, kid." Spreading her wings, she took flight into the night sky.

"Wait! Don't leave me here!" Again, Amy had been left behind. She felt like screaming in frustration but never got the chance. She was immediately swarmed by reporters, who saw her as their last hope of getting a story.

"Miss! Can you tell us what happened?"

The young hedgehog looked around nervously as questions were spewed left and right. She moaned inwardly_. Why me?_

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More Author's notes: Whee, that was fun! o.o No real plot in this chapter just yet… just sorta… exposition. But the plot will probably be introduced in the next chapter, so just sit tight. Please gimme some feedback! I need all the inspiration I can get. ^_^;


	2. Behind My Eyes

Disclaimers: Sonic and peeps belong to Sonic Team. I own nothing! I'm po'!

Author's Note: Eee, sorry for the horribly long wait. o.o;; School ish ebil that way. ^_^; But! This chapter is TWICE as long as the first, AND it has a bit of plot in it! AND you get to bounce around in char's heads! Fun, ne? XP And thank you to EmeraldSpace2 and RockChick for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it so much! ^_^ Anyway, enough of me. On with the fic!

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Chapter 2: Behind My Eyes

The blue streak raced down the long bridge at breakneck speed. The road was devoid of cars-- and understandably so. After all, what fool would be driving after such a scare? Upon hearing Gerald's death sentence to the world most had gone to their homes to prepare for the end, planning to spend the last moments of their lives with loved ones. But now that the world was safe once again, those who had feared for their lives only hours earlier were celebrating jubilantly.

Sonic could imagine what the celebrations were like. What the focus of their cheers were.

And he ran faster.

He ran. Searching for something. But what? He wasn't sure. He just needed to keep running. To get away. To run away. But from what? 

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No, can't think about that now. Just gotta keep running…

But it wasn't enough. Just running was too simple-- it required no thought at all for the experienced hedgehog. He needed something that would put his mind in his feet instead of--

Sonic shook that thought from his head, shifting his attention to the dark sea around him. Watching the gently surging water had a calming effect on him. But then his gaze fell upon the broken white image on the water's surface. He averted his eyes from that harrowing reminder and again focused on the pulsating sea. It was then that he noticed a large black shape in the distance. It sat motionlessly on the water, a dark shadow framed against the moonlit sky.

A smile crept across Sonic's lips. _South Island!_ He couldn't help but feel relief at the sight of his home. In recent weeks, the mysterious drifting island had made it's way toward the coast of Capital City, and now it was stationed to the southeast of the great metropolis. How the island stayed afloat was a mystery. Nor could anyone explain how or why the island always stayed just far enough from the mainland to be free of the pollution and sea-traffic of the coastal cities. Its current location was no exception, for not even Route 280's automobile contamination reached it.

The expanse of ocean between him and his home did not perturb the young hedgehog, however. He may not have been able to swim, but he had learned a few tricks to get around that weakness when necessary. It was just the kind of challenge he needed to keep his thoughts in check.

Sonic stared at the dark form for a few more moments, then gazed down the road. His eyes met a towering steel structure ahead, it's suspension cables streaming down to the bridge. The blue hedgehog grinned, an excited gleam forming in his eyes. "Perfect."

His legs pumped madly as he picked up speed. The wind whipped through his quills, and he relished the scent of the sea breeze. His concentration remained focused on gaining enough speed before reaching the cables. His feet hardly touched the ground as his velocity continued to increase. In a matter of seconds, he reached the suspension bridge. 

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Now the fun starts.

With a grace only he could maintain at such high speeds, Sonic leapt from the road onto the left suspension cable. He crouched as the metal plates in his shoes sparked against the cable. His momentum carried him up the steep incline until he reached the top. He sprung off the cable, landing on top of the tall support tower. He stood there for a moment and gazed at the dark island once again. He grinned as he knelt, one hand on the metal surface beneath him. "Now THIS is the fun part."

Sonic curled into a ball and started spinning violently. His quills tore through the air, creating a whirring noise that might have been mistaken for a charging energy weapon. When the sound reached its peak, he released the spindash. The blue sphere shot off the tower like a bullet, soaring over the water. When he started to fall, Sonic uncurled and began "running" midair. His feet became a red blur as he fell at an angle toward the water's surface. When his feet touched the water, he rocketed across it, shooting up a spray of seawater behind him.

Sonic laughed like a playful child as the spray coated his fur. For at least a short while, the past was in the past, and he was happy again. He continued on to the island, and even chanced a few stunts off some of the waves as he neared the coast. At last, he skidded to a halt on the sandy beach. He looked around at the trees and other vegetation of Green Hill. He was home. _Home!_ The word never felt so good. This was his home. His paradise. His refuge.

He threw himself down on the sand and lay on his back. The sand was still slightly warm from the heat it had absorbed during the day. He smiled and closed his eyes, folding his arms behind his head. He listened to the waves breaking on the shore, the familiar sound relaxing him even more. He'd always been fond of the sea, his reasoning being "it's cool and blue, like me." At least, that's what he told others. The truth was that he didn't really know why he loved the ocean. The fact that he couldn't swim made it more puzzling, but he still never gave it much thought. He simply rationalized that growing up on an island had instilled the affection in him.

Regardless of the reason, the sound of the churning water temporarily washed away the burdens that had been weighing him down. He opened his eyes and gazed up at the night sky.

His body tensed and he drew in a sharp breath. Looming ominously above him was the milky white moon, marred by a blood red crater.

Sonic suddenly felt cold. He shivered as he stared up at the frightful image. His momentarily clear mind was again being threatened with painful memories. Breaking his stare from the wounded moon, he stood up and rubbed his cold arms. Realizing he was still wet, he decided that having a good run might dry him off and warm him up.

The blue speed demon dashed around Green Hill, running through the obstacle course he and Tails had set up years ago. Such mild exertion for him was hardly enough to break a sweat, however, and he was still cold. But in a way, that was a good thing– it kept his mind preoccupied with finding a way to push himself harder.

Sonic was caught off guard when something metallic shot out of a nearby tree, heading straight for him. He barely dodged out of the way in time as the stinger of a Buzzbomber plunged into the ground where he was once standing.

"What's that doing here?" Sonic watched the badnik as it tried to loose its stinger from the ground. After his initial surprise, he soon remembered that these were a part of the obstacle course. He sighed. "We must've left them running before we left. Well this will make things more interesting..."

The robot finally freed itself and attempted another strike. But this time Sonic was ready. He leapt into the air, curling into a spinning ball of quills, and came down upon the badnik. His spines ripped through the mechanical insect, creating a small explosion of metal parts. The blue hedgehog landed unscathed, smoldering robot parts raining down around him. 

Sonic smirked as he looked down at the Buzzbomber's remains. "Too easy." He lightly kicked the head. "Piece 'a cake."

The wind suddenly picked up, whispering through the surrounding trees.

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You…!

Sonic jumped and looked around, startled. "Who's there? Show yourself!" His eyes flitted around nervously, seeing only the leaves swaying in the breeze. After a few moments he relaxed and shook his head. "Get a hold of yourself, Sonic. It was just the wind…" Regaining his composure, he turned back around to face the mutilated robot. His body tensed when his gaze fell upon its head.

It was staring straight at him, the broken moon reflected in its dead eyes.

Sonic gasped and stepped back. The reflection of the crimson crater in the badnik's eyes bore through him like a pair of hot coals. Cruel irony tore into his soul.

A chill ran through his body once again. He turned away from the haunting sight and started to jog off. Heart racing and adrenaline pumping, he gradually picked up speed, twisting and turning through the Zone, trying to shake off the cold. His fur had already dried, but the coldness remained. He ran faster.

A Crabmeat attempted another assault on the hedgehog, but his edginess caused him to respond quicker and with more ferocity. The wind howled.

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You…!

Sonic continued to run, breaking into a cold sweat as more robots attacked. He destroyed them one by one, attempting to defy the unsettling whispers of the wind.

"I'll never look back…" Sonic panted as he ran. "I've got no regrets…"

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Lies!

Sonic skidded to a halt and clenched his fists. "Shut up!" He clasped his hands to his head. "Leave me alone…" He fought back tears, his own thoughts tormenting him. He looked up and noticed that he was back at the beach.

And there was the desecrated moon.

It was too much for him. He fell to his knees, releasing the tears he had held back for what seemed like eternity. "It was my fault… Shadow…" The young hedgehog trembled. "I'm sorry… I failed…" His voice lowered to a whimper. "I failed…"

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The white bat trudged into her apartment, softly closing the door behind her. She leaned against it, sighing tiredly. "It's been a long week…"

After a moment, Rouge strode into her room and tossed a small sack onto her desk. She flopped onto her bed and sighed once more. "These government jobs are too tiring… after this one's over, I'm going back to jewel-hunting." Rouge smiled at this thought. There _was _one particular jewel she had her eye on…

Then she remembered the President's orders. Her job wasn't finished until she completed her report. The bat moaned as she sat up. "Guess jewel-hunting will have to wait."

She stood and walked over to her desk, sitting down in front of her laptop. She flipped the small computer open and grabbed her bag, emptying its contents. A disk and some small jewels spilled out, along with a shiny gold object. Rouge's wings drooped as she picked up the bracelet. "Shadow…" She clenched the ring and shut her eyes. "Foolish hedgehog… throwing away your life like that… and for what? A world that will only hate you…" 

She opened her eyes and thought back on the last words she had exchanged with him. She had accused him of being a fake. She made him doubt his own identity. And now she wished that she could take back those words.

"Oh Shadow... I'm so sorry…" Tears began to slip down her cheeks. "Ultimate Lifeform or not, you proved that you're a true hero. Maria would have been proud of you..." She wiped her eyes and straightened up. "And I'll make sure that the rest of the world is too." She put down the bracelet and picked up the disk, inserting into the laptop. With renewed motivation, she typed furiously at the computer, determined to bring _all_ aspects of "Project Shadow" to light.

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"Foiled. _Again_."The evil genius grumbled as he entered a room deep within his pyramid base. Yet another one of his plans for world domination had been ruined. Only this time, he couldn't blame that annoying blue hedgehog. 

Eggman sat before a large computer console and folded his arms in thought. But he wasn't plotting new schemes or planning new machines-- rather, he was reminiscing. No, it hadn't been Sonic that mangled his most recent plan. It had been his own grandfather, Professor Gerald-- a man Eggman had always admired as a scientific genius. And he had used his grandson for his own vengeful purposes.

Certainly he hadn't intended nor anticipated using his descendant as a puppet; he had died before Eggman was even born. But it still changed the way Eggman viewed his grandfather entirely. Even after his death, he tried to destroy the world in a fit of vengeance. He had filled his life's works with that same vengeance. And in the end, it had destroyed them both.

Eggman planted his elbows on the console and rested his chin on his folded hands. He sighed roughly. "The fool. He let his own rage destroy his greatest creations." He closed his eyes behind his dark glasses. _And what magnificent creations they were. The Biolizard was a truly powerful beast… and it was only a prototype for the Ultimate Life. Then there was Shadow… _The doctor leaned back in his chair and twiddled his moustache. _He was the culmination of all my grandfather's work. The Ultimate Lifeform, capable of defeating even the mighty Biolizard. And such a clever mind, too, tricking me into thinking that I was his master… _He chuckled. "A hedgehog after my own heart. We made a good team, Shadow."

His face darkened. _Gerald… what were you thinking? You sacrificed everything to preserve Shadow-- even your own granddaughter. And then wasted it all completely in such a senseless cause._ He folded his arms and closed his eyes again.

"You fool."

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"See anything, Knuckles?"

"No," the echidna replied from the back of the plane. "The highway's completely empty."

The young fox sighed. _Where could he have gone?_ The pair had quickly lost sight of Sonic, despite the speed of his small plane. They had searched the area for a few hours and were now scanning Route 280.

"Maybe we should call it a night, Tails," Knuckles called over the sound of the engine. "I don't think he wants to be found."

Tails furrowed his brow, thinking. He didn't want to give up, but maybe Knuckles was right. They _had _been searching for a while, and he _was_ pretty tired… "Alright," the fox responded. "Let's just finish checking this road. Then we'll call it quits."

"Sure," Knuckles replied, scanning the area. After a few moments, a large shape to their left caught his eye. "Tails, is that an island?"

Tails glanced back at him, then followed his gaze. His eyes widened. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

Knuckles cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"That's South Island, Sonic's home!" Tails cried, his hope renewed. "I bet that's where he went. I don't know why I didn't think of it before!"

"Well then, let's go check it out."

Tails nodded, veering the Tornado toward the island.

The plane reached the island within a few minutes, Tails guiding it along the coastline. "We'll head for Green Hill first," he called over his shoulder. "That's where he'll most likely be."

Knuckles nodded, watching the white beach for any signs of the blue hedgehog. They arrived at Green Hill in no time, and Tails began to slow down the plane. Soon they spotted a small form lying on the beach. Tails again pressed a few buttons and reverted the plane back to walker form, slowly descending near the figure. 

Knuckles jumped down before the Cyclone had fully landed and ran over to the creature lying on the ground. Tails panicked a bit, realizing that it was indeed Sonic curled up on the beach. As the walker touched down, the fox fumbled over the controls, quickly shutting the machine down. He leaped out of the mech and dashed over to them, Knuckles already kneeling beside the hedgehog.

"Knuckles, is he--?"

"He's fine, Tails," Knuckles quietly reassured him. "He's just sleeping. But you may want to get a blanket… he's shivering a bit."

Tails nodded. "There's a hut nearby. I'll see if I can find one." With that he whirled his two tails and flew off into the nearby woods. Knuckles looked down at Sonic again, checking him over. It was then that he noticed two wet streaks down his cheeks. The echidna's normally hard expression softened at the sight, realizing that the young hedgehog had been crying. He had never seen Sonic cry before, and he doubted many others had either. _Poor guy… he's been through a lot the past few days…_

Tails soon returned with three blankets and handed one of them to Knuckles. "I figured we should all get some sleep," he explained, covering Sonic with one of them.

"Good idea." Knuckles rose, noticing that Sonic was stirring. "Why don't you stay with Sonic for the night? I'm gonna go get some wood to make a fire."

Tails nodded. "Okay." He watched Knuckles for a few moments as he walked off, then sat down next to Sonic. 

The hedgehog's eyes fluttered open. "Tails? Is that you?" he questioned, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm here, Sonic."

Sonic sat up and yawned. "When'd you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Knuckles is here too."

The blue hedgehog chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I guess you'd need a good hunter like him to track down Sonic the Hedgehog."

Tails smiled slightly at that, but then noticed the tear stains on his fur. "Sonic… are you okay?"

Sonic glanced at Tails and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." But Tails continued to stare at him, ears drooping and worry etched on his face. Sonic saw the genuine concern in his eyes and sighed. "Heh, guess I can't fool you." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "No, I suppose I'm not all right."

Tails spoke softly and carefully. "It's about Shadow, isn't it?"

Sonic nodded slowly. "Yeah." He was quiet for a moment, then continued to speak. "We were so alike… and I think we could've been good friends, you know? Fighting alongside him… it felt like there was some link between us. But now…" Sonic lowered his head. "Now he's gone… and it's _my_ fault."

Tails' eyes widened. "Sonic, you can't blame yourself--"

"Why not?" Sonic interrupted him. "He used up all his energy with that final Chaos Control… if I had put more energy into it, then he wouldn't have pushed himself so hard." Tears began to fill his eyes again. "If I had only been quicker, I could have saved him…" By now his tears were flowing freely.

Tails wrapped his arms around Sonic in a tight embrace, tears beginning to fill his eyes as well. "Sonic… it's okay. It wasn't your fault. Shadow chose to take that risk, and you did all you could."

Sonic returned the embrace, sobbing on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Tails," he said quietly. Having a friend to confide in lightened his burden, but his guilt was persistent. The thought that _he _should have fallen instead of Shadow kept gnawing at Sonic's mind. But that was one burden he didn't want to share with his young friend.

After a few minutes, Sonic pulled back and wiped his eyes with the back of his glove. "Look at me," he said, laughing a bit. "Crying like a baby. You must think I'm a total wuss now." He smirked at the fox.

Tails smiled back, his own face streaked with tears. He shook his head. "Not at all, Sonic."

Sonic smiled at his young companion. But it was a genuine smile this time. He ruffled Tails' hair. "Thanks, pal."

As if on cue, Knuckles returned just then with an armful of firewood. Sonic waved casually. "Hey, Knux."

Knuckles laid the wood down near them. "Nice to see you awake, Sonic," he replied with a smirk.

"Hey, when ya gotta sleep, ya gotta sleep." Sonic watched as Knuckles began to strike two stones together over the kindling foliage. "Starting a fire, eh? Now why didn't I think of that?"

Knuckles grinned. "Maybe it's because you couldn't start a fire without a match if your life depended on it."

Sonic folded his arms in mock indignity. "Sorry, I'm not a Boy Scout."

"Obviously," Knuckles replied with a light chuckle. The brush finally ignited, and Knuckles gently blew on the flame to spread it.

"Thanks, Knux!" Tails said, warming his hands against the growing fire.

"Yeah, what would we do without ya, Knux?" Sonic added, warming his hands as well.

Knuckles smirked again. "Knowing you, you'd probably burn the whole island down trying to start your own fire."

"Ha ha, very funny," Sonic replied dryly. "Well if you're just gonna insult me, I'm going back to sleep."

Knuckles laughed. "Suits me just fine."

Sonic yawned. "Fine then. I'm beat anyway." He laid back down and pulled the blanket up over him. "Wish I could just sleep forever…" He sighed. "'Night, guys."

"Good night, Sonic," Tails replied, watching him for a few moments.

"You look tired yourself, Tails. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Tails turned his head toward Knuckles. "Yeah, I guess I should." He got under his own blanket. "Oh wait…" he said, sitting up. "I should hide the Cyclone. Wouldn't want anyone to steal it…" He started to get up, but Knuckles waved him down.

"Nah, you get some sleep." The echidna stood up. "I'll keep an eye on it."

Tails rubbed his tired eyes. "You sure, Knux?"

"Yeah," Knuckles replied, grabbing his blanket. "I'll just go sleep in the cockpit." He grinned. "Then anyone who tries to take it will have to deal with me too."

Tails smiled. "Thanks, Knux." He got back under the covers and closed his eyes. "Good night."

"Good night, Tails."

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Morning found the three heroes still sleeping soundly on the beach. Sonic and Tails were sprawled out on the sand, while Knuckles lay rather awkwardly in the Cyclone's cockpit. With one leg over the control panel, another hanging over the side of the mech, and his head resting against the back of the seat, it was a wonder that he could sleep at all. Yet sleep he did, snoring lightly.

A beeping from the control panel stirred the echidna slightly, causing his brow to furrow in annoyance. As the beeping continued, he squirmed uncomfortably, kicking a button on the control panel in the process. The beeping ceased, abruptly replaced with a loud radio transmission. Knuckles jumped and yelped in surprise at the sudden noise, tumbling out of the walker and hitting the ground with a thud.

Knuckles' cry also awakened Sonic and Tails, who both sat up groggily.

"Wha…" Sonic blinked a few times as he looked at the eastern sky. "Aw man," he moaned. "The sun's barely up! Wake me up when it's noon." He fell back on the ground and covered his eyes with his arms.

Tails, however, was a bit more attentive and turned toward the Cyclone. "Knuckles, are you okay?"

Knuckles was just picking himself up off the ground, rubbing his head. "Yeah," he grumbled. "This darn radio just woke me up, that's all."

Tails' ears perked, noticing the transmission. He quickly ran over to the machine and hopped into its cockpit. He fiddled with the controls a bit, intently listening to the voices projected from the radio.

Knuckles leaned over the side, yawning. "What is that, anyway?"

"I'd forgotten that I still had this thing set to notify me of important G.U.N. radio transmissions," Tails replied, vaguely noticing that one of Sonic's ears twitched in their direction. He grinned a bit. "Basically, we're listening to confidential military information."

Knuckles laughed. "Well, let's hear what they have to say, then."

As the two listened to the military conversations, Sonic sat up again, giving up on sleep. Instead he stood and stretched his legs, then gazed out toward the ocean. He noticed several jets and helicopters in the distance, all heading northward. _Hm… military aircraft…?_

"Sonic, come quick!" Tails' voice interrupted his ponderings.

Sonic jogged over to the Cyclone, noting Tails' wide-eyed expression. "What's up, little buddy?"

"I think you should listen to this, Sonic."

The blue hedgehog obediently listened, expecting it to be some report of another one of Eggman's crimes. However, after listening for a few moments, he soon realized that this was not the case.

"_The impact was detected at 1800 hours off the coast of Station Square. Proceed to the transmitted coordinates and investigate with extreme caution. If the lifeform is located, apprehend it and bring it back alive."_

"Copy that. Proceeding to coordinates."

Sonic just stared at the console for a few moments, eyes widened slightly. He looked back up at the sky toward the jets, which were now nearly out of sight on the northern horizon.

Tails in the meantime was again pressing buttons, monitoring a small screen in front of him. "Sonic, my emerald radar is detecting a Chaos Emerald off the coast of Station Square…"

The hedgehog's head turned sharply toward him at that statement. "We have to go check it out."

Tails and Knuckles exchanged glances before Knuckles spoke up. "Sonic… you realize that it may have just been the Emerald's impact that they detected, right? They all scattered after your battle--"

"But they said '_lifeform_'!" Sonic protested. "If the military has enough reason to think that… that Shadow might be alive… then we should at least check it out ourselves! He deserves that much…"

Knuckles opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Tails. "You're right, Sonic." Knuckles shot him a somewhat surprised look, but the young fox continued. "We shouldn't give up when there's still hope."

Sonic grinned, looking happier than Tails had seen him in a while. "Alright! Thanks pal!" He again ruffled Tails' fur. "Let's move it!"

Tails nodded and ordered the two to stand back as he converted the walker into flight mode yet again. He glanced at Knuckles, who smiled back at him and nodded slightly. Sonic hopped on the back of the plane and also looked down at the echidna.

"Coming, Knux?"

Knuckles shrugged, looking off toward the north. "Well, Angel Island fell north of here… maybe I'll take the Master Emerald back there first, then meet you guys at Station Square."

"Okay," Tails replied. "Need a lift?"

"Sounds good. I could go for a free ride." He grinned as he joined Sonic on the back of plane. "Gliding long distances wasn't my idea of an early-morning activity, anyway."

"Alright!" Sonic exclaimed. "Let's get goin', Tails!"

Tails set the plane into motion, navigating it down the length of the beach. It gradually gained speed, using the beach as a makeshift runway. Within a few minutes they were airborne, flying toward the northern horizon.

----------

A/N: Whee, ish fun playing with char's heads! Teehee! But there's prolly a few screw-ups. The Rouge segment was kinda cheesy, I admit. And I have no clue how to mimic military radio transmissions, so I just made up stuff that sounded cool. ^_^; Stuff like the locations of Angel Island and Station Square were made up too, because I'm the author and I can do spiffy stuff like that! *evil giggle*

Sonic: o.o;; Help…

Me: There, there, Sonikku. I won't do anything too evil to you… oh wait, yes I will… o.o;; Ewps…

Knuckles: Geez, just spoil the story, why don't ya?

Me: Ehm… you ppl heard nothing! o.o; Um… um… go look at my piccy! (http://www.side7.com/cgi-bin/S7SDB/DisplayImg.pl?INO=183047) It deals with this chapter… yesh. o.o And, um… the next chapter will have more plot than this one, I promise! 

Oh, and check out my other fic, "Chaos Uncontrolled"! Ish craaaaazy, man! XP

Once again, please review! Love it? Hate it? TELL ME! (gets those sad puppy-dog eyes) Pweeeeaaase?


	3. You Live an Endless Life

A/N: YES! It's FINALLY here! I'm sooo sorry this took so long to get out! School and IB exams and inspiration drought and SADX… all got in the way. @.@ But, I am DONE with high school, DONE with IB, I got enough inspiration to finish this, and… well SADX is still a distraction. But in a way it motivated me to finish this too. XP And this chapter is much longer than the last, so maybe that makes up for its lateness? ^_^; Oh, and thank you to everyone who reviewed! It's your reviews that really get me motivated to write. ^_^; But enough of my babble. Read!

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Chapter 3: You Live an Endless Life

__

Darkness…

He looked around the black void.

__

Nothing…but darkness…

A coldness settled inside him as he realized that he was alone in this empty place. No one to cry out to, no one to help him…

__

Wait, no… something else is here…

He could sense it. Another presence, one he was familiar with. One that sent chills down his spine. A snake-like hiss reached his ears.

He whirled toward the direction it came from, fur and quills bristling. An odd glowing shape loomed before him. It was a yellow-orange crescent, resembling an eerie grin that widened and narrowed in a steady rhythm.

The rhythm of its breathing.

He could hear its breaths now and stepped back apprehensively. _I know you…_

The faceless grin hissed again, seeming to mock his fear. Gradually, the grin's face and body became visible. Brown, scaly skin… metallic pipes… a reptilian form…

His eyes widened. "No… we killed you!"

The grin persisted, emitting a low growl. It slowly advanced on its small prey.

His heart pounded as he backed away from the creature. Fighting off panic, he decided to fight rather than run. "I suppose I'll just have to kill you again!" He lunged at the creature, aiming for the metal pipe trailing from its mouth.

But it was much faster than he had remembered. It snapped at the hedgehog, catching him in midair with its powerful jaws.

Shadow cried out in pain, struggling against the Biolizard's grip, but to no avail. He felt weaker, as though the monster was draining him of his life. His attempts to free himself diminished, and the lizard let out another satisfied hiss. Shadow felt his body go limp as he cried out into the darkness. The darkness responded only by closing in around him, plunging his mind into its depths. _Is this my fate?_

A wordless song suddenly filled the darkness, causing it to recoil from the helpless form. He opened his eyes and gazed at a white figure in the distance. _That voice…_

The pain receded and the Biolizard's grasp seemed to weaken as the song continued.

__

I know that voice…

The figure became clearer, and he could see that it was a young girl. The Biolizard faded away, and Shadow floated to the ground gently.

The song continued, but now there were indiscernible words. Details of the girl's appearance cleared-- a light blue dress, golden hair…

Shadow's heart caught in his throat as he stared at the girl. "Maria…" he whispered.

The girl paused in her song and opened her blue eyes to gaze at the dark hedgehog. She smiled warmly and continued her song, the light surrounding her expanding to chase away the surrounding darkness.

Tears filled his eyes as he stared at his beloved Maria. _No, this can't be Hell. Not as long as she's here. _

The words of her song were quite clear to him now.

__

"And with my dear friend's light to lead me true,

These crushing bonds of dark I can break through."

The light grew to a blinding intensity with those last words, Maria's image fading away into the rest of the white. But the melody continued to echo through Shadow's mind, the voice shifting and changing. _Maria…don't leave me!_

I'll never leave you, Shadow.

----------

"Maria…" The whisper escaped his lips as his mind began to return to consciousness. The song still rang through his ears as he opened his eyes. _The music…its not my imagination-- its real…_

He tried to sit up to locate its source, but quickly regretted it. Pain and dizziness washed over him, causing him to moan and lay back down.

His movement caused the song to stop abruptly, replaced by the sound of churning water and then a soft whistle. He turned his head toward the sound and blinked in surprise at the odd sight before him.

A smooth, gray face with a seemingly permanent smile gazed back at him. Shadow propped himself up to stare at the creature, ignoring his head's painful protests. The rising sun reflected off its long, sleek body. He recalled seeing pictures of similar creatures in one of Maria's many books. _What was it called…?_

"A… dolphin?" the hedgehog murmured, still watching the animal in awe. It let out a chirp, as if responding to his query. He took that to mean 'yes'. Yet, there was something unique about this dolphin-- it dawned on him when his gaze fell upon its eyes. They were a brilliant blue. Despite knowing little about 'dolphins,' he sensed that blue eyes were not typical of the species.

The dolphin abruptly turned, breaking his gaze into its eyes, and dove into the water. "Wait!" Shadow called, extending his arm toward it. But it had already vanished into the blue depths. He put his arm down and sighed. _Alone again…_

He looked around at his surroundings and realized he was in the middle of a large city-- or what was left of it. All the buildings were in ruins, half-submerged by water. "What is this place?" Shadow whispered, gazing around at the destruction. He looked down at the concrete he sat on and realized it was a piece of highway jutting out of the water. "And how did I get here?"

He remembered falling, burning, drowning-- now he could no longer ignore the throbbing in his head. He lay back down, closing his eyes. _And then there was the song…_ He opened his eyes and furrowed his brow. _I heard it in the water, in my dreams, and when I awoke…_He turned his head to look at the nearby water. _Did the dolphin save me?_

Shadow was startled when the dolphin's head again popped out of the water before him. He sat up slowly again, wincing at the pain. The dolphin squealed and waved something green it held in its mouth. Shadow blinked, puzzled by its return. It opened its mouth and bobbed its head again, seeming to offer the object to him. He slowly reached out and took the item. It was some sort of seaweed. He shot a quizzical look at the dolphin, which responded by clapping its jaws together. 

Shadow arched an eyebrow. "You want me to eat this?" The dolphin chirped in reply. However unappealing it may have seemed, his stomach reminded him of his hunger. He took a careful bite-- not particularly appealing, but not terrible either. He continued eating, watching the dolphin. It stared back at him with its friendly grin, watching his every move. Its expression was the image of oblivious naivete, but its eyes showed much more. _Such a strange creature…_

Finishing the last of his meal, the dark hedgehog tentatively extended a hand toward the aquatic form. Slowly, uncertainly, almost afraid that it might vanish like a dream at his touch. The dolphin, however, showed no hesitance in pushing its head against his hand. He slowly stroked the rubbery skin, a small smile crossing his face. "So," he began, "are you the one who saved me?"

The dolphin regarded him with its fixed smile and whistled cheerfully. Shadow chuckled quietly. "I suppose I should thank you." His expression sobered. "But… I almost wish you had let me drown." He gazed at his reflection in the water, noting a few scratches and bruises on his dark face. "I don't know why I'm still alive. I fulfilled Maria's wish-- there's nothing left for me now, no purpose to my life."

The wet snout nudged his hand, accompanied by a soft squeal. Shadow smiled sadly at the gray face. "I suppose you wouldn't understand. I've already died once. I died fifty years ago." He laughed bitterly. "The trouble seems to be staying dead."

The dolphin whimpered anxiously. There was pain in its blue eyes. Just like the pain in Maria's eyes when she begged him to protect the Earth. Was this creature begging him as well? He couldn't bear to cause any more pain to another gentle, innocent creature.

"Don't worry," he softly reassured. "I won't throw away your gift. Life is far too precious to be wasted." He gazed at the ruined city. "I understand that now."

Much to his annoyance, the throbbing in his head returned. Both the pain and his lingering exhaustion forced him to lie down. He sighed, closing his eyes. The dolphin began to sing again. _How do you know that song? _His mind was lulled by the music. _Who are you?_

--------

Silence.

Shadow snapped out of his half-sleep. There was silence. The song had stopped. Alarmed, he sat up and looked to his side. To his relief, his aquatic companion was still there. But something was wrong. The dolphin faced motionlessly toward the east, making agitated clicks. Shadow directed his attention to the east as well. He noticed a faint, high-pitched sound in the distance.

"What is that?"

Whatever it was, it was coming closer. He listened carefully to identify it. It sounded like the roar of an engine-- then the recognition hit him. It was the sound of a jet engine.

Shadow furrowed his brow. "Looks like they've found me." By now the dolphin was making anxious circles in the water. "Well I won't make it easy for them." He attempted to stand, as if emphasizing his defiance. But agonizing pain shot through his body and his legs crumpled under his own weight. He hissed at the pain, mentally cursing his own weakness. 

The sound was getting louder. Shadow clenched his fist. If he was going down, he wanted to go down fighting. Being caught stranded like a fish out of water was NOT his idea of a fitting defeat. His attention was caught by the dolphin's sudden whistle. It was staring at him intently. He could almost see its thoughts in its eyes. _A fish out of water…_

He grinned. "An excellent idea."

-------

"Any luck?"

"Negative. Scanners aren't picking up anything, sir. If this is where he landed, he's not here anymore."

The three helicopters and three jets criss-crossed the open water, scanning and re-scanning the area for any sign of the missing 'lifeform'. Commander Merrick sat alongside one of the helicopter pilots, overseeing the search. He ran a hand through his short, jet-black hair, pondering their next move. Their best bet would be Station Square, the nearest point of land to the impact site. Flipping on the radio again, he began to issue orders to the troops.

"Alright, we're not finding anything here. Proceed to Station Square and continue the search there." A stream of acknowledgements crackled over the radio. He nodded to the pilot, who steered the helicopter toward shore. The three Blue Eagles zoomed ahead for initial reconnaissance of the city, to be followed by a more intensive search by the chopper crews. Soldiers and robots waited aboard the helicopters, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

As the helicopters neared the ruined city, Merrick couldn't help but feel a pang of grief at the haunting sight. It was unbelievable that Eggman could have possessed such a powerful weapon. That's why the government had been a bit more liberal in its dealings with G.U.N. in recent months. They had hoped that a stronger military would prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again.

But the ARK incident had proven otherwise. G.U.N. was all but useless in preventing Eggman from activating the Eclipse Cannon. And then there was Project Shadow. The military organization was incapable of halting his escape as he took out squadron after squadron single-handedly. If nothing else, Merrick knew how dangerous this hedgehog was. That's why the success of their mission was so important-- Station Square would not, _could_ not be repeated.

A Blue Eagle pilot radioed in. "Sir, I think we may have found something."

The commander quickly flipped on the transmitter. "Report."

"Infrared scans are picking up a heat source near the old hotel."

"Roger that. We're on our way. Maintain aerial surveillance and report anything else you find."

"Yes sir."

Within a few minutes, the choppers arrived at the hotel, landing on nearby rooftops. Their doors swung open, pouring out robots and soldiers. The Beetles spread out in every direction to search the area, while the hunters remained in smaller, slow-moving clusters. The soldiers formed a perimeter around the helicopters, a few remaining within to monitor the Beetles' transmissions. They were the eyes and ears of this operation, equipped with various sensors to locate the fugitive.

Merrick was among those watching from within the helicopters, blue eyes flitting from screen to screen. Scenes ranging from the wrecked buildings to the remnants of Speed Highway flashed across the monitors. Before long his attention was called to an alert from one of the drones. A sergeant tapped a few buttons and an infrared image appeared on one of the monitors.

"Commander, this drone's located the heat source."

Merrick leaned over the sergeant's shoulder to examine the transmission. An adjacent monitor showed one of the alleys near the hotel. The infrared video showed the same scene, but there was a noticeable splotch of red in the water. It was slowly getting bigger and moving toward the camera.

"Which Hunter unit is closest to that area?" the commander questioned over his shoulder.

A sergeant at another computer responded. "Gamma Unit, sir."

"Dispatch them to the area immediately, but tell them not to shoot 'til I give the order." He turned back to the infrared screen. "Last thing we need is to jump the gun," he mumbled.

It was apparent that whatever was in the water was slowly rising to the surface, so Merrick shifted his attention to the normal video. Within a few moments, the Gamma Unit hovered onto the screen, training their weapons on a spot in the water. Merrick watched that same spot intently, eventually making out a dark shape. It continued to grow closer to the Beetle, the camera and gun nozzles following its movement.

Finally it broke the surface, spouting a cone of mist from its gray head. The dolphin let out a surprised squeal at the sight of the robots. Merrick sighed. "Tell them to stand down." The Hunters lowered their weapons and backed off. The Beetle moved on to search other areas.

Once the machines had vacated, the dolphin quickly continued on toward a building. It passed through a large hole in the wall, and once inside, flipped over on its back. Shadow gasped for air, clinging to the dolphin's flippers. He remained panting on its underside for a few moments, regaining his breath. The dolphin swam up to a platform along the wall, allowing Shadow to climb off. He sat there breathing heavily, but he couldn't help smirking. "Fools."

The dolphin chirped in a way he could have sworn was laughter. Shadow looked around the partially collapsed room. It seemed safe enough. "I suppose we'll just wait here until they leave." He sighed. "Though I doubt they'll give up easily." The idea of just sitting there for who-knows-how-long held little appeal for him. But they didn't have much of a choice. Trying to escape in his weakened condition with robots swarming the area was too dangerous. He especially did not want to put his newfound companion in unnecessary risk. Besides, the robots had already left that area thinking he was not there. They were safe for the time being.

He thought so, anyway.

-------

Two hours passed and still they found nothing. For all Merrick knew, the hedgehog could have been long gone by now. He was frustrated, and a call from General Hudson-- for whom he had little fondness-- did nothing to improve his mood.

"Have you located Project Shadow yet?" The general wasted no time getting to the point.

"Negative, sir. We're in the process of scanning the city--"

The general interrupted, irking him even more. "You have three Blue Eagles there, don't you?"

Merrick blinked, wondering what he was getting at. "Yes, sir."

"Then make use of them and bomb the buildings. Flush the hedgehog out!"

The commander's eyes widened. _Has he gone mad?_ "With all due respect, sir, I don't think demolishing what's left of the city would be appropriate."

"Our priority here is to recapture Shadow, commander," the general replied harshly. "Would you compromise national security for the sake of a few buildings?"

Merrick clenched his teeth. _This is more than just a few buildings, you fool!_ Still, he held his tongue. "No, sir."

"Then I suggest you follow orders before you find yourself court marshalled."

It took great restraint to keep his contempt for Hudson in check. "Yes, sir."

The radio went static and Merrick changed the frequency angrily. _How could he show such disrespect for the thousands who died here?_ Nevertheless, he issued the orders to the pilots, noting with disgust that they accepted them without question. The three helicopters lifted off after the soldiers were secured inside. Watching the three jets descend upon the city, Merrick couldn't help but think that 'Black Vultures' would be a more fitting name.

-------

A low rumble shook the walls around them. Shadow snapped to attention, glancing around. Dust and pebbles fell from parts of the collapsed ceiling, and the dolphin seemed anxious again. "What now?" He listened carefully as the sound subsided, followed by another rumble, closer this time. He could make out the sound of the fighter jets, and the rumbles grew progressively closer. His eyes widened. Those weren't just rumbles-- they were explosions. The jets were bombing the area. 

And they were getting closer.

He growled, watching more and more debris fall with each explosion. _This place definitely will not survive a bombing. So much for hiding. _He looked to the dolphin. "We have to get out of here."

The dolphin quickly swam over to him, positioning itself alongside the platform. Shadow slid onto its back, clasping its dorsal fin. No sooner had he done so that the dolphin took off. He barely had time to fill his lungs before they dove through the opening in the wall. They would have to remain underwater as much as possible to avoid being spotted.

The explosions were definitely louder now, though Shadow could not tell whether they were actually closer or if it was only the water magnifying the sound. Shutting his eyes against the water rushing past them, he was blind to everything around them. He had to rely totally on an animal he had only just met. Yet somehow this didn't bother him.

Not that he had much of a choice, anyway.

Shadow's lungs were beginning to burn for want of air, but he had no way of signaling the dolphin to rise. If he released even one hand from its fin, he would surely be ripped away by their sheer speed. He could only hope that they would surface soon. Lightheaded and blind as he was, he could barely notice their sudden shift in direction. But the sensation of cold air on his face brought great relief to his starved lungs. He inhaled deeply, grateful that the dolphin stayed at the surface long enough for him to take a few breaths. 

He took this opportunity to look over his shoulder at the scene behind them. Buildings were falling apart, huge chunks of concrete and metal tumbling into the water. He frowned, wondering if this was how the city was destroyed in the first place. Facing forward, he took another deep breath before they dove yet again. An instant before his head met the water he thought he heard the jets overhead.

He hoped it was just his imagination.

-------

"Commander! We've spotted him!"

Merrick rushed to the radio. "Where?"

"Heading south on 7th Street," the pilot replied. "He appears to be…swimming, sir." The young man sounded perplexed. "Very quickly."

Merrick raised an eyebrow. _Swimming? Hedgehogs can't swim…_ He shook his head and turned to one of the sergeants. "Have all the robot units converge on that area!" He turned back to the radio and contacted the helicopter pilots. "Take us to 7th Street South."

"Yes, sir."

He switched his attention back to the monitors. Already the Beetles were on the move. He just hoped that they would catch up to the hedgehog in time. _Swimming…_The idea still puzzled him. He shuddered at the thought that they might have underestimated him. What if he caught them off guard with some other unknown ability?

Another alert from one of the Beetles shook him from that unwanted thought. It had located a heat signature in the water and was pursuing the rapidly moving object. Merrick watched the scenery speed across the monitor. _He couldn't possibly be moving that fast, could he?_ But the Beetle showed no signs of slowing down.

Then a pair of figures emerged from the water ahead of the Beetle. It didn't take long for Merrick to recognize the black-quilled creature. And he was on the back of--

"A dolphin!" the commander exclaimed, dumbfounded. _It must have been hiding him the entire time!_ He scowled at how easily they had been duped. 

Shadow took another much-needed breath of air, then glanced backwards again to gauge where the jets might be. His eyes met with a group of Beetle drones tailing them. Alarmed, he instinctively grasped the dolphin's fin more tightly. "They've found us!"

The dolphin squealed in reply and dove once again. To Shadow, it seemed to swim even faster than before, but that did little to ease his apprehension. No doubt there were Hunters nearby as well, putting them both in imminent danger. A sudden yelp from the dolphin accentuated his fear, and he abruptly felt himself being jerked from side to side. Carefully opening his eyes against the rushing water, he saw beams of light raining down around them. _Lasers!_ he thought, his heart racing ever faster. The dolphin was nimbly dodging each one, though some came unnervingly close to hitting their mark.

Shadow's body began to ache again from the violent yanks of the dolphin's movement. Yet that was the least of his concerns as he inwardly cursed himself for putting this innocent creature in such a predicament. But there was nothing he could do now-- letting go would only cause it to stop to retrieve him, making them both sitting ducks for the robots above. _Why do you have to care so much? You're going to get yourself killed protecting me!_

If he had hoped his unspoken words would deter the dolphin's actions, the effect was exactly the opposite. Suddenly they were moving straight up, racing toward the surface. Shadow half wondered if the dolphin had taken leave of its senses, for the closer they got to the surface, the easier a target they made. They shot out of the water at top speed, rising above the cluster of robots hovering over the water. 

Shadow was stunned as the dolphin made a graceful arc in the air-- even more so when he realized that it was going to land right on one of the robots. The Hunters seemed almost stunned as well, remaining motionless with their visual censors locked on the two. Shadow lowered his head as they plunged down and through a robot. It exploded as they re-entered the water, but the dolphin was unfazed. Shadow stared in disbelief-- not so much as a scratch on its gray body.

His fear shifted to a tinge of excitement as the dolphin shot upwards again for another round. This time they came up under a robot, tearing through it before making another arc downward. As they descended toward another Hunter, Shadow took the opportunity to glance at one of the Beetles and smirk arrogantly.

Merrick slammed his fists down on one of the consoles. "That cocky devil!" He scowled as he watched another Hunter explode. "How the hell can our robots be losing to a _dolphin_?!" He glared over his shoulder at the other officers in the helicopter. All were silent, glancing at each other uneasily. He scowled again and shifted his glare to the monitors in front of him, watching the robots explode one by one.

By now the drones were firing at the two again, but their speed made them difficult targets for the slow Hunters. As they soared into the air again, a nearby robot and his own pride caused Shadow to temporarily forget his injuries. He grinned darkly before releasing his hold on the dolphin and curling into a ball. Its surprised cry fell on deaf ears as he plummeted toward the machine. His quills tore through the metal easily, but at the same time searing pain tore through his body. He instinctively uncurled and attempted to cry out, only to get a mouthful of water as he plunged into the sea again.

Mere seconds after he hit the water he felt something bump him and drag him away. It brought him to the surface, where he immediately began to cough up seawater. Still swimming rapidly away from the remaining robots, the dolphin was chirping and clicking loudly in what Shadow assumed to be scolding. He laughed weakly. "Sorry, I suppose I shouldn't have done that." He patted its back with one hand, the other arm flung over the dorsal fin. He smirked. "Not that it wasn't fun."

The commander watched the pair swim away, fury building with him. _No one_ made a fool of his squadron and got away with it. And he would make sure of that. Flipping on the radio he yelled orders to the fighter pilots. Shadow _would _be recaptured, one way or another.

By now the dolphin had dove back under the water, Shadow still clinging to its back. He kept his eyes closed this time, for his head was still spinning from his painful stunt. His body still ached all over, and he half wondered how serious his injuries really were. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Their most pressing concern was safe escape. _Safe… will that word ever have any real meaning for me?_

Shadow had no time to ponder that thought before hearing an explosion dangerously close to them. The shockwave sent them both tumbling through the water. The dolphin let out a piercing shriek that caused Shadow to unconsciously shudder. The hedgehog clutched desperately to the creature's back as it attempted to continue swimming, writhing erratically. Fearfully watching it struggle to reach the surface, he realized that it had been severely disoriented by the explosion. It was suffering. Because of _him_.

As they reached the surface, Shadow found himself both angry and sincerely afraid. The dolphin still flailed clumsily, whimpering piteously. "You stupid animal!" he yelled, angry more at himself than anything else. "Why won't you leave me alone and get out of here?!"

It paused in its movements and cocked its head to the side, regarding him with one azure eye. It whined softly, voice and eyes clearly saying 'I _can't_.' Inwardly, he knew there was no way the dolphin would leave him, even as he saw the Blue Eagles turn for another round of bombing. They would both die. His _friend_ would die.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

A closer explosion tore Shadow from the dolphin's back, the resulting waves sending him crashing onto a large slab of highway. He moaned as he rolled painfully to a stop on the concrete. Motionless and breathing heavily, the world still seemed to be spinning to him. But even through the dizzying pain throughout his body, he was able to notice one thing.

Silence.

No clicks, no whistles, no whines.

Nothing.

It was that alone that gave Shadow the strength to lift himself to his knees, despite the pain. Forcing himself to focus, he frantically scanned the water.

But there was nothing.

"No…" He clenched his fists, the thought of another friend dying because of him becoming unbearable. "No!"

The clank of metal against concrete drew his attention to a group of Hunters landing nearby. His anguish quickly turned to rage as he glared darkly at the robots. _They were the cause of this… they are the cause of all my pain. And they will pay!_

Forcing himself to his feet, he grinned maliciously at the drones. "It would seem I'm fated to die today," he addressed the machines as they cocked their weapons at him. His grin turned into a snarl as he clenched his fists. "But the hell if I'll let you kill another because of me!"

His fury overriding his sense of self-preservation, he charged at the Hunters. They fired at him but he nimbly dodged each shot. Curling into a ball, he launched himself into and straight through one robot, barely landing before he ripped through another. Each impact sent waves of pain through his body, but he ignored it. His anger fueled his speed and strength, and within seconds there was nothing but smoking scrap metal left on the cold pavement.

He stood in the middle of the rubble, panting heavily. He heard the sound of a helicopter, but when he looked up to locate it the world seemed to spin again. He clutched his throbbing head, feeling his legs weaken beneath him. "No, not now…" He felt the wind and roar of the engine beat down on him from above, seeming to be the final strain on his exhausted body.

He felt himself falling.

And then there was darkness.

-------

"There's Station Square up ahead, Sonic. Do you want to go there or look for the Chaos Emerald first?"

Sonic gazed at the flooded city in the distance. He felt somewhat uneasy staring at the remnants of the once vibrant and beautiful city. But his resolution was firm. "No, let's go to the city first."

Tails nodded, steering the Tornado 2 toward the city. He looked down at the console screen in front of him monitoring a series of green blips. "Sonic," he yelled over his shoulder, "It looks like there's a bunch of G.U.N. aircraft near City Hall."

Sonic looked down at Tails, a gleam in his eyes. "Then that's where we'll go."

Tails smiled back at him, then faced toward the city again. He had his doubts, but he still maintained a slight hope that they might find Shadow alive. Sonic was right-- they did make a powerful team fighting the Biolizard, and Shadow was so very much like him. Perhaps that was why Sonic wasn't the only one affected by his presumed death. Tails was saddened too, both by the loss of a hero and a potential friend. The odds were stacked against them in this quest, however, and he worried how Sonic might react if-- he shook his head slightly. _Just gotta think positive…_

"Something wrong, Tails?"

He started at the sound of Sonic's voice. "No, I was just thinking, that's all."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow for a moment, but shrugged it off. "Okay."

Before long, they were flying at a low altitude over the city, making a beeline for City Hall. As they approached their destination, they noticed three fighter jets circling the area. If they detected the small plane, however, they made no attempt to intercept them. Finally spotting the government building, Tails began a slow downward spiral. The two looked down at the hovering helicopter and the military personnel clustered on some of the remnants of Speed Highway.

Sonic narrowed his eyes. They were gathered around something, but he couldn't tell what at that height. "Tails! Let me off down there!" He pointed to another slab of concrete near the group of soldiers. Tails nodded, banking the Tornado 2 again to descend toward that spot. 

After a few more circles, they had reached a fairly low altitude. The plane leveling out, Sonic jumped out and landed on the crooked slab. Tails continued on to land somewhere more level. A few of the soldiers' heads had turned in Sonic's general direction, but made no attempt to stop him as he hopped from rock to rock toward them. A few even gave him a respectful salute, to which Sonic responded with a brief smile. They weren't the focus of his attention at the moment.

Instead he was focused on whatever the soldiers had their weapons trained on in the center of their ragged circle. As he landed next to them, he was able to make out a stretcher being moved toward the nearby helicopter. But he couldn't quite see past the soldiers to make out who it was…

He felt a hand lightly press his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hedgehog, but you're going to have to stand back."

Sonic looked up at the soldier standing over him, clearly annoyed. _We'll see about that._ He backed away a few steps, then leapt into the air over the heads of the soldiers. He landed neatly inside the circle, eyes immediately going to the stretcher. His breath caught in his throat for a moment. Lying motionless on the stretcher was a battered black hedgehog.

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed, filled first with excitement at finding the dark hedgehog, but then with panic at seeing his condition. _Is he…dead…?_ Before he could get closer to find out, several pairs of hands latched onto his arms, pulling him back. "Hey! Lemme go!" The blue hedgehog struggled to escape the soldiers' grasp, but froze when he saw Shadow's eyes flutter slightly.

Sonic's eyes lit up at the sign of life from the hedgehog. "He's alive!" Sonic couldn't resist giving a triumphant whoop, causing Shadow to slowly turn his head toward the sound. He gazed weakly at the blurred blue form. "Sonic…?" He stared for a moment, unable to focus on much of anything. His eyes drifted closed again as the stretcher was being lifted into the helicopter.

Sonic again struggled to get loose as he watched his friend disappear into the helicopter. "Let me go! Where are you taking him?"

"I'm afraid we can't disclose that information, Sonic." The hedgehog paused again to see a dark-haired officer stride toward him. "Its all right, men. You can release him."

They did so, just as Tails flew over and landed next to the hedgehog. "Sonic, are you alright?" he questioned, glancing at the soldiers.

Sonic brushed himself off, still looking a bit annoyed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The officer spoke to his men again. "Get back in the chopper. We'll be leaving soon." The soldiers nodded and jogged off toward the helicopter. He turned back to the pair, extending his hand toward Sonic. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Sonic. I'm Commander James Merrick."

Sonic stared at him suspiciously for a moment before grasping the Commander's hand in a firm handshake. Merrick then turned to the smaller fox and extended his hand to him as well. "And you must be Miles Prower, the boy who saved Station Square from Dr. Eggman." 

Tails beamed, eagerly shaking the man's hand. _Someone actually recognized me!_ "Just 'Tails' is fine, sir."

Sonic stood with his arms folded, glaring at Merrick. "Where are you taking Shadow?"

Merrick straightened, regarding Sonic calmly. "I told you, I can't divulge that information."

Sonic scowled. "He's hurt! He needs to get to a hospital!"

"I assure you, he will receive medical attention," Merrick replied.

"Why are you after him, anyway?" Sonic questioned, his voice tinted with anger.

Merrick's face darkened. "That's confidential. Now if you'll excuse me," and he turned on his heel, "we have a mission to complete."

The Commander strode back toward the helicopter, leaving Sonic fuming behind him. "Come back here and give me a straight answer!" he yelled, starting after him. Tails lightly grabbed his arm, however, stopping him. Sonic turned to regard his friend, who shook his head. "Let him go." Sonic raised an eyebrow, then glared back at the rising helicopter.

As the helicopter disappeared around a building, Tails grinned. "Come on, Sonic!" He grabbed the hedgehog's wrists and rose into the air with him, his tails whirling furiously.

Sonic blinked, his anger defused for the time being. "What's up, Tails?"

Tails giggled smugly, flying to where he left the Cyclone. "We don't need him to tell us where they're taking Shadow-- we can just eavesdrop!"

Sonic's face brightened, remembering the transmission they had listened in on earlier. "Ha! I'd forgotten about that! Good thinking, Tails!"

Tails beamed again, setting him down next to the mech. He dropped into the cockpit and flipped on the radio, again adjusting a few knobs and buttons. Sonic leaned over the side of the cockpit as a transmission began.

"_We've secured the hedgehog, General, but he's injured._" Sonic recognized this voice as the Commander he had just been speaking to. "_We will proceed to the military hospital at the base._"

"_Negative. Take him to the Capital Memorial Hospital._"

"_But sir, there's no way of keeping this quiet if we take him to a public hospital!_"

"_He'll receive better medical treatment there. And that's an order, Commander._"

There was a pause on the other end. "_Yes, sir._"

The transmission ended, and Tails clicked off the radio. "That was strange…"

"Yeah, really," Sonic agreed. "Sounds like there's some dissension in the ranks."

"At any rate," Tails said, grinning again, "we got the info we were looking for."

Sonic grinned back. "Yeah, good work, Tails! So, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

Something in the sky caught Tails' attention. "Wait, isn't that Knuckles?"

Sonic turned to look and saw a red figure flying toward them. He waved one arm in the air. "Yo, Knuckles!"

The red echidna landed next to them a few moments later. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Knuckles," Tails greeted. "Angel Island floating again?"

Knuckles nodded. "Went up without a hitch. Did you guys, uh… find what you were looking for?" He glanced cautiously at Sonic.

Sonic merely grinned back. "Sure did! Shadow's alive, Knuckles!"

The echidna's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Is he, now?" His eyes lifted skyward. "You hedgehogs never cease to amaze me."

Sonic winked, waving a finger cockily. "Well we're an amazing breed of hedgehog, Knux."

Knuckles smirked back at him, and spoke somewhat thoughtfully. "That you are."

"Oh, Sonic, I almost forgot!" Tails spoke suddenly. "There's still a Chaos Emerald somewhere nearby."

"That's right," Sonic replied, snapping his fingers. "Feel up to some jewel-hunting, Knux?"

"Actually," and Knuckles gazed at the waterways, "it seems the Emerald is coming to us."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow. "Eh?" He stepped to the edge of the platform and followed Knuckles' gaze.

Knuckles pointed at a spot in the water, his hand following the movements of the Emerald. "Right…" He slowly brought his hand down to a point in front of them. A gray head popped out of the water in that same spot. "…there," Knuckles finished, blinking.

"Hey, cool! A dolphin!" Sonic exclaimed, kneeling at the edge of the water. He looked at the green jewel in its mouth. "And it looks like he has what we're looking for." The dolphin swam over to him, letting him take the Chaos Emerald from its mouth. "Thanks, boy!"

"Actually, Sonic," Knuckles began, "I think its female. You can tell by the shape of its dorsal fin."

Sonic looked up at Knuckles while rubbing the dolphin's head. "Since when are you the expert on dolphins?"

The echidna shrugged. "There's lots of writings about them from my ancestors. They were thought to be magical creatures that brought good luck."

Sonic smiled, turning back to the dolphin, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention. "Well this one certainly brought us some luck!"

Tails studied the dolphin for a moment, then turned to Knuckles. "Hey, Knuckles, are dolphins' eyes normally blue?"

Knuckles gave Tails a quizzical look, then turned back to the dolphin. He blinked, noticing its blue eyes. "No, they aren't."

Sonic seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the dolphin was. "Well, maybe you _are _magical then, huh?" The dolphin chirped in response. Sonic laughed. "I think she agrees."

"So, Sonic," Knuckles began, folding his arms, "if Shadow's alive, where is he now?"

Sonic's face darkened. "G.U.N. has him. They're taking him to a hospital in Capital City." 

At that, the dolphin began chirping anxiously. Sonic looked back at it. It seemed… worried? "What's wrong? Do you know Shadow or something?" It gave whistle in reply. "So I guess he made a new friend," Sonic said, smirking. "Well don't worry, we'll find him and make sure he's alright." He gave her one final pat before standing. "And thanks again for this," he said, holding up the Emerald. He strode over to Tails in the Cyclone. "Ready to go, Tails?"

Tails nodded. "Just let me get it up in the air and I'll switch to flight mode, then fly back around and pick you up."

Sonic looked down at the Emerald in his hand. "No…" He grinned. "I think I have a better idea. Switch to flight mode now."

Tails blinked, looking ahead, then back at Sonic. "But, Sonic… there's nowhere near enough room for me to take off here."

Sonic winked. "Just trust me on this, Tails."

"Okay…" Tails replied hesitantly, switching modes.

Sonic grinned, hopping on one wing. "Wanna tag along, Knux?"

Knuckles glanced back at the dolphin, gazing in its blue eyes for a moment. Then he turned back to Sonic and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He hopped onto the opposite wing.

Sonic kneeled down, holding onto the front edge of the wing. "Alright, Tails! Full throttle!"

Tails started the propeller up, moving the plane forward. "Sonic, are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry, just keep going."

The plane gradually gained speed, Tails eyeing the edge nervously. "Sonic…"

"Keep going," Sonic urged, glancing at Knuckles. He stared straight ahead, not seeming the least bit nervous.

They were coming dangerously close to the edge, and Tails knew they didn't have enough speed. _We'll never make it! _"Sonic!"

Even Knuckles was staring at Sonic expectantly. Sonic grinned, gripping the Chaos Emerald in his hand. "Chaos… Control!"

A green light enveloped the plane just as it reached the edge of the platform. A second later, they were gliding high above the city. Tails scrambled with the controls to make sure they stayed airborne.

Knuckles shook his head, looking forward again. "Showoff."

Even through the wind, Sonic could tell that Tails' fur was on end. "Sonic… don't… do that… again!"

Sonic couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, Tails. Just wanted to have a little fun!"

Tails mumbled, his fur settling. "Let's just get to the Capital…"

--------------

A/N: Whoo! Some semblance of plot! Okay, maybe I should explain a few things now… some of you might be thinking "A dolphin? What the fwa?" Well you see, last summer I did my Extended Essay (3000 words @.@) on dolphins. And while I was writing it, I was like, "…I'm gonna incorporate this into my fic! I dunno how, but I will!" And it just so happened that I was trying to figure out a way for Shadow to survive, so it worked! XP So if it seems a bit lame, sorry. I like dolphins. =P And I named the Hunter Unit after Gamma because I can. Gamma's cool. XP

Another little note… I made another pic illustrating a scene from chapter 1. The link to my art archive is in my profile (ff.net won't let me post the link in here) so you can find the pic there.

Extra little note… I make no guarantees as to when chapter 4 will be out. SADX and a dream I had have inspired me to start another fic that's a very altered version of the past scenes from Sonic Adventure. It seeks to answer the questions, "what if it wasn't Chaos that destroyed Knuckles' people?" and "why does Knuckles have no memory of his origin?" If I do actually get around to writing it, is should be a spiffy fic. A friend of mine's even gonna make a music video based on the idea. ^.^

Okay, I think that's enough rambling. o.o; Please be so kind as to review? Please? (whips out Cream (no pun intended XP))

Cream: (gives you the sad eyes) Pweeeeeaaaaase? 


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